Bone stimulating factor

Abstract

Polypeptides which stimulate bone growth, associated nucleotide sequences, methods of preparation and use, antibodies and kits are disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An isolated polypeptide having bone stimulatory activity and comprising an amino acid sequence which includes up to 30 consecutive amino acids from the amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO:4, provided that amino acids 5 to 14 of SEQ ID NO:4 are not deleted or a conservatively substituted variant thereof having bone stimulatory activity. 
     
     
       2. A conservatively substituted variant of a polypeptide according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       3. A chimeric bone stimulating factor comprising a polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       4. An agent for use in prevention and treatment of a bone reduction related disease which comprises a polypeptide of  claim 1  as an active ingredient. 
     
     
       5. A pharmaceutical composition for promoting bone growth, comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide of  claim 1  in combination with a carrier. 
     
     
       6. A method of increasing bone growth in a mammal by administering a bone-growth-increasing effective amount of a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of a polypeptide defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       7. A method of treating osteoporosis by administering to a mammal an amount effective for treating osteoporosis of a polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       8. A method of promoting bone growth in a mammal by administering to a mammal a bone-growth-promoting effective amount of a polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. A method for preparing a medicament for promoting bone growth or treating osteoporosis, comprising incorporating a polypeptide having a sequence according to  claim 1  into the medicament. 
     
     
       10. An isolated DNA fragment which encodes said polypeptide of  claim 1  or a DNA fragment which differs therefrom due to the degeneracy of the genetic code. 
     
     
       11. A vector comprising a DNA sequence which encodes said polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       12. A process for producing a polypeptide of  claim 1 , which comprises: 
       a) preparing a DNA fragment containing a nucleotide sequence which encodes said polypeptide;  
       b) incorporating said DNA fragment into an expression vector to obtain a recombinant DNA fragment which contains said DNA fragment and is capable of undergoing replication;  
       c) transforming a host cell with said recombinant DNA fragment to isolate a transformant which can express said polypeptide; and  
       d) culturing said transformant to allow the transformant to produce said polypeptide and recovering said polypeptide from resulting cultured mixture.  
     
     
       13. An isolated first polypeptide which includes up to 30 consecutive amino acids sufficiently duplicative of a second polypeptide which includes up to 30 consecutive amino acids from the amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO:4, provided that amino acids  5  to  14  of SEQ ID NO:4 are not deleted, such that the first polypeptide is encoded by a DNA that hybridizes in about 1×SSC at 68° C. with DNA encoding the second polypeptide and has bone stimulatory activity. 
     
     
       14. A conservatively substituted variant of a polypeptide according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
       15. A chimeric bone stimulating factor comprising a polypeptide of  claim 13 .